Chris Christie Blames Obama for War with Hamas

'Israel is not sure that they have America’s support like they used,' says possible Republican presidential candidate.

By Gil Ronen

First Publish: 7/13/2014, 8:02 PM

President Obama and Gov. Christie

Reuters

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie laid some of the blame for the violence between Israel and Hamas at the doorstep of President Barack Obama, whom he accused of not supporting Israel sufficiently.

"This has been a symptom of this administration for the last six years, that Israel is not sure that they have America’s support like they used, and that’s a real failure of this presidency in my view," Christie said, according to NJ.com.

He called on Hamas to be "dealt with firmly" and charged Obama with allowing the conflict to escalate by not affirming the United States’ support for its ally, Israel.

"I think the unrest you see in the Middle East is caused in some measure, not completely, but in some measure, by the fact that this president has not acted in a decisive and consistent way," Christie said.

"He draws red lines then doesn’t enforce them; he doesn’t stand up for our friends in a vocal and forceful way," he said. "Those are things that he should be focused on, trying to bring stability to that region by having America be a forceful voice in favor of a democracy like Israel and be condemning, in the strongest terms and in actions, the things that are being done by Hamas against Israel."

Christie spoke to reporters shortly after attending a governors’ luncheon Saturday at a semi-annual conference for the National Governors Association. A potential Republican candidate for the White House in 2016, visited Israel in 2012.